Emotional Advantage

by Randy Taran

“ Emotional Advantage is such an uplifting answer to our challenging times. In its pages, you will find encouragement, support, and new perspectives. Randy Taran offers an antidote to emotional overwhelm―a powerful way to discover how useful your emotions can be in guiding you towards your best life.”―Marci Shimoff, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Happy For No Reason and Chicken Soup for the Woman ’ s Soul

Award-winning author, producer, and founder of Project Happiness, Randy Taran knows that every emotion, feeling, and mental state has the power to bring us back to our true essence, and that readers can use Emotional Advantage as a guide to get there.

Featuring a Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

In recent years, there has been an overwhelming interest in the science of happiness and positive psychology, and many books on the subject. There is a good reason for this: it is a core, universal human drive. And while happiness has opened the door for many to move forward, there is a burgeoning curiosity about the full range of human emotions, all of which factor into the human experience. What do we do when life does not go as planned?

Neuroscience reveals that to understand and utilize any emotion, we need to “name it to tame it.” It turns out that even negative emotions have something to offer, if we know how to learn from them. Have you ever woken up in a fog of feelings and felt directionless? Or maybe it was hard to pinpoint exactly what you were feeling, but it wasn’t where you wanted to be? What if we could actually use our feelings as a pathway to guide us back to our inner compass? What if, like alchemists, we had the tools to transform our emotions to take charge of creating our very best life? What if we could comprehend how even the most troublesome emotions are sending messages to alert, protect, and fuel us forward?

Emotional Advantage is that guide. It will show us how a new perspective on fear can move us to courage, how guilt can clarify our values, and how anger can help us create healthy boundaries.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Emotion, Personal Growth, Health, Unfinished

304 pages, Paperback

Published December 29, 2020

About the author

Founder and CEO of global non-profit organization Project Happiness, Randy Taran is dedicated to empowering people with the resources to create greater happiness within themselves and the world. An expert in emotional resilience, her desire is to enlighten readers with the idea that all emotions are worthy of reflection and acceptance. Emotional Advantage is Randy’s first personal development book.

"Randy Taran's words are informative and transformative, interesting and enlightening. Reading Emotional Advantage felt like embarking on a journey, at the end of which I felt more deeply connected to myself and to others, better understood and more understanding, lighter as well as happier. Don't just read this book, engage with it! Do the exercises, apply its wisdom, open yourself up to the richness of your emotional life." —Tal Ben-Shahar, New York Times bestselling author of Happier

Reviews

[Samantha Kappes · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a forward from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and a proclamation from the author early on in the book that she’s never experienced depression, I could not help but roll my eyes and prepare to brush off this books suggestions as more misguided positivity driven drivel that wouldn’t help anyone. I thought I was about to read the kind of book that misguided strangers read, before beaming at me and asking me if I’ve tried yoga or fresh fruit or just positive thinking to cure my depression.

I was pleasantly wrong. Taran breaks emotions down into easy to relate to and understand terms, and references sources I trust- peer reviewed psychologists and therapists, as well as referencing personal experience from time to time. As she provides us with descriptions and examples of each emotion, she also offers suggestions, support through the form of words, and journal prompts. I normally skip journal prompts— but this book actually had me participating in them. It was a surprisingly simple and straightforward way to relate myself to the topics at hand, as well as discover my own hidden truths through reflection.

I would recommend this book for all people looking to better themselves, and feel a little more at ease with the world. It’s a very shame free experience, and I only rolled my eyes a handful of times, an impressive feat for most books on moods. As someone struggling with mental illness, I found it a good, encouraging way to move forward with my ever long road to recovery- but I could see it being helpful to neurotypical people who are just looking to understand themselves a little more.

Disclaimer: I did receive this book for free from the publisher via a Goodreads Giveaway- but my opinions are sincere.

[Camilla Leurs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just wasn't for me. Listened as audiobook and author was narrator. She sounded like someones mom telling me what to do and feel. Couldn't get past that. Lots of repetitive things.

[Genevieve Trono]

Emotional Advantage is an in-depth look at how feelings, both positive and negative, can help us move forward to be our best possible selves. Many people have deeply challenging life situations that can at times feel like huge hurdles or stumbling blocks. This book offers the reader valuable and researched information about how even these tough times can offer us a chance at learning and growing from them.

Negative experiences can feel debilitating and Taran's advice is wonderful at sharing how much power we can have over our emotions and reactions. How we respond to even to the most challenging situations can let them guide us to be a more informed and empowered person.

As we learn and grow from situations and interactions, we are able to be more proactive in the future, set better boundaries and have the courage to be our best selves. I learned so much from this book and I know I will refer back to it again and again.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone wanting to find their happiness and joy factor in every day life no matter the outer circumstances, this is a great place to start and learn. Randy has written a very thorough book to get you contemplating, appreciating, but most definitely learning. You do have a choice! If you are new to self help (and even if you are not) there is a lot of wisdom that many would find helpful in this book. Thank you for allowing me to receive an ARC copy of this book. This will be a great book to add to my resources to share with my health coaching clients!

[Maegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book from a giveaway and I was glad that I did. There were several parts of the book I bookmarked because they were inspiring or relatable and by the end of the book, it was filled with post-it notes. I appreciated the journal challenges and I was excited when one would show up. They really make you think about what you really want in life, and how to deal with the emotions that come with life in a way that other books like this don't. This is a good book if you want to take a deeper look into your life, your emotions, and yourself.

[Leann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a calming, reassuring book filled with practical wisdom! Randy Taran covers the topic of emotions and the most skillful way to work with them in this heartfelt book. I've followed her work with Project Happiness but reading this was like reading an in-depth version of her website. I'm very appreciative that this is not a "shiny happy people" book or something that only an optimist would read. It's written for those of us who deal with anger, disappointment, and worry. She helps readers find the wisdom in the worry and introduce helpful tips from neuroscience and meditation practices to use our emotions as a guide.
Each chapter is divided by an emotional. It was hard to pick my favorite but I think Love and Desire were the two I had the most insights from. There are also sections to journal about (a big plus in my mind!)
This is a great book to give to the people you care about in life to discuss later in order to better understand ourselves and others.

[Megan Barnard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! I found this to be a well-written and interesting book that was a quick read. I don't tend to read many books about emotions and such, but this book really highlighted the important ones (sadness, happiness, anger, anxiety, etc.) and made me think about them in a way I never had before. It also had helpful journaling tips and questions that helped me put what the book talked about into practice in my daily life. I'd never thought about anger and sadness being emotions that could be positive until I read this, and I loved learning more about where they come from and how to deal with them. Overall, the lessons learned in this book are ones I will use in my daily life. Highly recommend!

[Reika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gem and an on-time one too. The spectrum of emotions covered are thorough and relatable. I felt like each description was perfectly fitting to the degree in which I experienced each emotion. This book also encourages and promotes growth and moving forward. It’s empowering and validating. I recognized the rollercoaster of emotions I’ve experience and I’ve been fairly successfully at naming the emotions. But this book helped fully understand which emotion is present and its current state. I highly recommend this book for anyone that desires self improvement and a greater understanding of why we do what we do. I’ve highlighted so much, it almost looks like a coloring book lol. I’ll be reading it again and again.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A light read for anyone entering the self-help world. It provides lots of good coping skills and goes in-depth about each emotion. Highly recommend it! I would include favorite quotes that list coping skills but to truly be understood it requires reading this book. I had more coping skills marked/highlighted than quotes. Here are some quotes I liked:

“Sadness creates the urgency to move you toward a place of refuge and to find shelter in order to recover your strength. If not for sadness, you might have stayed in that situation longer than you needed to. In this way sadness can set you free.” (page 62)

“Grieving does not have to mean a loss of love. It’s an active expression of love we still feel and a way that we maintain a connection with out loved ones, now departed.” (page 66)

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew within the first couple of chapters that this was going to be a brilliant book.

On my first read, I took in all of the information and starting thinking about how I use and interpret each of my emotions in different situations in my life and I really made me think more deeply about how I can start to take some of control back.

I’m going to get a journal to start doing the activities and I truly believe that it will help as I already feel like I’m more informed and conscious just from reading the book.

Fully recommend to anyone who wants to reactivate their personal power and gain more awareness about what their emotions are telling them.

[Danella Yaptinchay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already know this is going to be one of my top books of the year. If you are into self-awareness and development, wanting to better your relationships and are raising a family this is a very educational read.

“Emotions ... are packed not only with energy, but a lot of information ... use this new awareness to take action in a constructive way.”

Randy Taran takes a holistic approach to understanding to key emotions. She gives many journaling prompts to push you to go deeper, and I am excited to go through these challenges — and hopefully come out more enriched on the other side.

The audio version is engaging but if you want to highlight stuff, best to use a written copy.

[Kelsey Danahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a highly sensitive person typically living in my feelings, this book was so incredibly insightful! It was an easy read with a strong backbone of both knowledge and practical tools to help guide me through a typically hectic day of clashing emotions. I highlighted nearly half the book! Through reading it, I've begun to understand the value of separating myself from my emotions, learning from them to create the life I want to live, and allowing them to guide me into the person I want to become. Highly recommend!

[O o · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading this book, I was able to consciously and physically feel all my emotions. Each chapter covers an emotion from most commonly regarded emotions like happiness, all the way to the complex feelings of guilt and shame. The book includes helpful journal prompts to allow for deep self reflection and resolution of unresolved negative emotions. I highly recommend this book to anyone who like feel more empowered with their emotionality. After all, it is our ability to feel that makes life so colourful.

[Johnny Wimmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came from a Goodreads giveaway, and was a pleasure to read. Each of our emotions are specal to our well being, and author Randy Taran offers us ways to manipulate our emotions to our best advantage. The psychology behind our emotional outlook gives us the power to get through the day and get it done. By taking care of each emotion and controlling our mind ,we can brng out the best n our nature. The book also offers good journaling ideas to track emotional progress. Well recommended!

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

All emotions, whether positive or negative can contribute to the well-being of any individual. The premise is not that emotions are bad, but are tools for self-actualization and decision making. Each of the ten emotions include characteristics, subcategories, physical reactions, and opportunities to understand the personal impact through journaling. Notes and a selected bibliography are provided to support the material presented and provided additional avenues for research.

[Sherrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway*

Do you love clichés and platitudes and desire to read 270 pages of nothing but that? If so, you are in luck!

Joking aside, this book was a huge disappointment. She doesn't say anything. She regurgitates other people's ideas, makes tenuous and vapid connections, and mostly sticks to repeating meaningless platitudes.

I do not recommend this one to anybody.

[LostInADreamlessSea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I found the content of this book very interesting! It presents an easily comprehensible and deep look at how our emotions can impact us, as well as offering great advise. I've already recommended this book to some of my friends, and it has well earned its place on my bookshelf :) . This book is full of encouragement, wisdom, and inspiration, and certainly a good read for anyone looking to improve themselves.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really resonated with most of the the information and advice, some I am already practicing. Alas, as with most self help books I am not willing to dig deeper, though I did take notes. I am already in therapy and 12 step groups, so I already have plenty of work to do. I still like self help books, I don’t read as many as I used to because I don’t want to overwhelm and pressure myself.
Mostly I read fiction and memoirs with an occasional true crime thrown in.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may take you a while if you do it right. There are a lot of journal writings in this book to help you think about what you've just read. You take a deep look into yourself which may be scary, but worth it.
The author gives you ways to combat and use your emotions for your own good instead of kicking yourself over and over again.

[Ruth Harper-Rhode · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m an emotional person and this book helped me think about my emotions a little more deeply in hopes of using them more effectively. An interesting read!

“In these complex times we need to remember that each of us is the architect of our own life. We can’t control what we encounter, but we can influence our reaction.”

[Heidi Goehmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half good snippets of skills and tips and half sketchy science and quotes collected from different fields. I appreciate the attempt and I think I found it both overwhelming with the amount of snippets and suggestions and underwhelming with support which came mostly in the form of quotes from other people. The author’s writing is friendly and approachable.

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read as a preview before recommending it to my clients. Will definitely recommend as part of my practice, 5 stars for how I will use clinically. 1 star for how much it kept my attention on a personal level.

[Kymberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily digestible and helpful. Many of the suggestions are easy to accomplish. The journal suggestions help you focus on what's necessary to help you live an emotionally positive and meaningful life.

[Ricky Duncan]

well, I got this copy as a giveaway, and am suppose to write a review. But, I guess my personality does not fit well with this style of self help book. Not that there is anything wrong with the book, just not my cup of tea, so to speak.

[Jo Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another self help type of read specializing in emotions. I didn't see anything that was particularly interesting to me, compared to other books in the same genre.
Time to get out of the self-help section!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good read to gain a better understanding of human emotions, what their purpose is and how to handle them. Perfect reading for this time of self-reflection and personal development. I won an advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Gwyneth Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is one of many on human emotion I have attempted to read and I couldn’t really get into it the way I do in most nonfiction. I just didn’t find the formula and explination interesting but I do acknowledge the research she has done was well done

[Robyn Albertyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a helpful book as an entry into emotional intelligence. It's practical and helps you to understand why we should embrace the full spectrum of emotions. It's a book that shows that each emotion carries information that is valuable.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a little at a time every morning to slowly take it in. I used a journal to keep the best bits so I can review as needed. I hope it stays with me. I have trouble identifying emotions, so I hope this helps as I move forward in life. Very insightful.

[Anne kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. Some of it was stuff I already know but other things I hadn’t heard before! I wish I had read it and not listened to the audiobook, I think that ruined it for a bit. All in all, a solid read!